Composite structure



June 11, 1935. A. c. wALLl-:N ET AL COMPOSITE STRUCTURE Filed May'O, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 11, 1935. A, Q WALLEN p -r AL `v 2,004,907

COMPOS ITE STRUCTURE Filed May 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flai@ IGJZ MM5 WM M/ MMM% - I dbwwmf Patented June 11, 1935 Arthur C. Wallen, -BronxvillQ-'N Y., andA Thomas J. Crawford, Youngstowm Ohio; said Wallen assigner-.to said Crawford.- j 4 Application May l3), 1930,'H'Serial No."f157,*598 f z-lclaims. (criss-si) n This invention relates sto" composite metal structures, which are vadapted for use as trusses and poles. As applied to a pole, itconiprises'an 'improvement in an invention on' a pole, which yis illustrated, described and claimed in acopending application for Letters vPatent of. the United States, Serial No. 422,709 filed January 23rd, 1930 by Arthur o. wanen.

' Briefly, the pole illustrated in such copending w. application is made by butt-Weldingtogether the ends of blanks of sheet metal to form strips, and by then deforming each strip longitudially and across the` welds to form channel members. Two of such members are then placed in (opposition to each other, and connected together bya lattice member. The blanks, whichare used to form the longitudinal strips, are substantially the saine in width, but different in thickness, wherefore the pole varies progressively inthickness ,from the bottom to the top. This type of pole is very satisfactory for relatively light loads, but thesize is limited to la thickness of metal which can be conveniently rolled after the welding operation is completed.` vThere is considerable demand however, for a pole of materially increased strength withV corresponding lightness in weight.

The principal object of the present invention is to make a structure, which has the advantageous features of lightness in weight and economy in manufacture, as are present in the structure illustrated in the copending application heretofore mentioned and yet which can readily be fabricated to effect material increase in the strength thereof.

The preferred manner of accomplishing this object is illustrated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan View of blanks of sheet metal, which are used to form the longitudinal mem- 40 bers of the structure; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through metallic blanks shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the blanks butt- Welded together to form a single strip; Fig. 4 is a top plan View showing one marginal edge of the strip deformed to provide a flange; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a structure having longitudinal members formed as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 1 1 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a top plan view olf the structure shown in Fig. 6 and illustrates the completion of the piercing operation of the 1ongitudinal members; Fig. 9 is a side-elevation of a structure wherein two parts such as those shown in Fig. '7 are connected together; Fig. 10 is a sec- We; prefer to make the longitudinal members of tion't'akenjpon the une lnm in Fig. 9 Fig. 1.1 is a side elevation of amodied yform of f'con- I'struction; Fig. 1,2 is a section taken on the line lila-I2Y :in` Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is aside-elevation of a longitudinal member made in accordance with v ,th ,meihbd Shown in Fies- 1 t0., 3i but Shaped differently after the completion of the butt-welding operation; Fig. V14 is a section taken on the 4line Illllir in Fig. 13H; Fig. 15 is a horizontal section-through a composite structure made by a joining :strips which are shaped, as shown in Fig.

14;* Fig. 16 is a side welevation 4of still another lmodiiication .of the longitudinalk member; Fig. 17 is afsection taken onthe line` ITI-,I1 in Fig.

16; Fig. 18 is a horizontal section through a corn- '15 l vposite .structure made by kjoining together strips formed as lshownin Fig. 17, and Fig. 19 is a side elevationof part :of va structure. made, as shown in Fig. 18.

the structure byxtaking blanks I0 of sheet metal of diierent thickness but .of substantially the samejwidthand lplacing them end to en d and then butt-welding the ends together, as .ony the lines l L Thisformsgasingle-strip,.as is shown in Fig. 3g Thereuponythe strip is deformed by turning up a flange l2 along one marginal edge so that in effect, there is formed an angle bar, with one leg longer than the other. Two of such strips so formed are then placed in opposition to each other, and are yjoined together preferably by welding a lattice bar I4 to the opposite inner faces of the strips. To this. end, the lattice bar isshown as having bends I3, which engage the faces of respective strips and are securely welded thereto. As shown in Fig. 7, the lattice bar is positioned at approximately the mid-portion of eachstrip with the ianges I2 facing inwardly. The relative position of the strips when so fastened are shown in Fig. 7.

After the strips are all formed, as is shown in Figs. 6 and 7,' then they are pierced as at I5, at

spaced intervals for the reception of bolts or rivets. Two of such composite structures are then fastened. together by securing members, which in Figs. 9 and 10, are shown as bolts I6 to form a box-like unitary pole structure. A unit so made may be welded and pierced-at the factory, and then bolted or riveted together at the place of use. This enables the parts to be shipped in relatively small units and thereby effects a material saving in freight charges.

A modification of our invention is shown in Figs. 11 and 12, wherein the longitudinal strips after `having been previously formed, as shown 55 in Figs. 13, 14 and' 15, wherein thelongitudinalm strips, after having been previouslyformed, isA shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, are then deformed alotlgt the marginal edges to form anges 2li and along the middle to form flat Vfaces 2|, which extend shipped in relatively small crates and assembled a,

at the place of installation. u y V u Another modification of our invention' is shown obliquely to each other. Three of such,A strips are then placed at the apices of a triangle, and are thenconnected together by lattice bars 22,` which preferably'are zigzagged members, and are welded to the opposite faces Zio! the respectivevstrips. The relative position of the strips is such that the y plane'y of each face 2| isudisposed at right angles to the plane of the lattice memberwith which itis connected. f i f Another modification of our invention is shown in Figs. 16 to 19 wherein the longitudinal member is indicated at 25, as having marginal flanges 26 which face inwardly toward the faces 21. The faces 21 correspond with the faces 2Iin the first modification, `wherefore ineffect the longitudinal member shown in Fig.- 13` constitutes a channel wherein the web is lbent"'out\tfardly to bring the flanges toward each other, whereas inthe modification shownin Fig.` 16, the longitudinal member comprises a channel in which the web is bent inwardly, thus forcing the flanges awayfrom each other. l As shown in'Figs'.y v18 and 19, three of the strips are placed at the apicesjof a triangle andare joined together by lattice members 30 which are attached, as, by welding to theadjacent faces 21 of the respective strips.

A-structure madein accordance with the method of` the present invention has valuable practical advantages in that the strength may be normally increased with relatively small increase in weight. This result is accomplished by reason of the fact that the longitudinal members are formed of sheetmetal, and that the connecting members are relativelyA light bars, which are welded to the longitudinal members. By modifying the shape of the longitudinal members, various other forms of kcomposite structuresv may be obtained within the scope of our invention,

We claim: i

1. A compositestructure comprising three longitudinal members arranged at the apices of a triangle; each :member comprising a; plurality of structural metal sections of graded thicknesses, joined `togetherlinend to end relation by butt welding theendsof each section to adjacent ends of 'the next sections according tothe graded re- -lation Sh1p,-, each of said sections comprising a channel beam having itsweb bent along a longi-k tudinal line 'to' present two portions atan V,obtuse Aangle to each other, While the channel flanges remain each at'aright angle to the adjacent web v portion, and diagonally positionedV rods welded to `said web-portions and joining said three longitudinalm'embers to forma triangularcolumn'of varying strength. f

2. `A composite lstructure comprising three'longitudinal members arranged at the apices of ay angle to each other with the flanges converging,

whereby the beam in' crosssection provides a hollow pentagonrexcept for an omitted side, and diagonally positioned rods welded to said web p0r- Stions and joining said three longitudinal members to form a triangular column of varying strength.

ARTHUR C. WALLEN. THOMAS J. CRAWFORD. 

